WRITTEN BY CH. FAISAL MAHMOOD
As we go to Press, we notice that our next communication with our readers would be in a post-election environment.
Next Saturday ‘we, the people,’ will elect a new Parliament and new Provincial Assemblies. When asked whom we would vote for, we responded – secrecy of ballot notwithstanding – that our vote would go that political party which promises to adopt Tourism as a major instrument of its economic policy. Luckily this time 2/3 contesting political parties has Tourism in its manifesto or has given some weight enough for it to be noticed except, perhaps, by the Election Commission.
We are not daunted at this, for we depend on the cumulative wisdom of the electorate that it will cause tourism know-how to penetrate the emerging legislative thought process.
To us non-political people, there are indications that voter turnout will be higher this time than in previous General Elections and that in this higher turnout, the numerical high would comprise of more of our youth lining up at the polling stations, making educated inputs into the ballot boxes.
This being so, we have high hopes about the future, for we know that our youth has a much better awareness of Tourism, its economic and social values and also what can actually be done to promote it in his/her country. We know, because we have received several emails from young men and women showing their readership of our pages and commenting not only on our regular features like Destinations and Surprising Pakistan, but also on the worldwide tourism scene.¡
